The present apparatus and method relates to a vehicle rack, mounted atop the roof, for the transportation of a paddle-board, or other types of sporting equipment.
Within the last decade stand-up paddle surfing has been one of the fastest growing water sports in the United States. Stand-up paddle surfing has its roots in Hawaiian culture and is a sport where a “surfer” stands on a paddle-board and uses a paddle to move through the water. Unlike surfing which requires a wave, stand-up paddle surfing can be performed on any body of water because a paddle is used and a wave is not required. Participants of stand-up paddle surfing note that it is a relatively low impact workout that focuses on core strength. Stand-up paddle surfing is particularly popular with women compared to the more traditional sport of surfing.
A paddle-board is an extra-long and buoyant surfboard that is generally over 9 feet in length, with some paddle-boards exceeding 12 feet in length. Paddle-boards are generally between 28-36 inches wide and weigh typically between 20-45 pounds. Due to the length and weight of a paddle-board, transportation is a concern for many participants. Most participants drive to a body of water to participate in stand-up paddle surfing and therefore, attach the paddle-boards to a vehicle. Generally, systems on sale relating to transporting paddle-boards on a vehicle consist of attaching a “rack pad” to a vehicle roof rack. Many vehicles that are marketed to adventurous outdoor types have a roof rack system that is factory installed. The roof of the vehicle has two parallel bottom tracks that run from the front of the roof to the back of the roof on both the passenger and driver sides. Two or more cross-bars attach to the bottom tracks and run from the passenger side track to the driver side track. The rack pads attach to these factory cross-bars and are typically constructed from high density foam that protects the paddle-board from the factory rack. Tie-down straps are then used to secure the paddle board, situated on the rack pad, to the top of the vehicle for transportation. The size and weight of a paddle-board often cause difficulties in maneuvering the paddle-board to the top of the vehicle. This problem is magnified with Sport Utility Vehicles (“SUVs”) because the roof height is often taller than an average height person.
Rack pad systems are also sold that attach to an after-market roof rack system. Vehicles that do not have a factory installed roof rack often can install an after-market system that provides the same functions. Thule and Yakima are two well known companies that provide after-market roof rack systems for a wide variety of vehicles.
Prior art for transporting sporting equipment discloses carrying equipment on a roof rack of a vehicle. Additionally, other prior art for carrying long loads on a vehicle disclose mounting the load on the side of a vehicle with supports.
Participants in stand-up paddle surfing would typically like to keep the use of any side doors and windows to bring friends along and for easy access to gear stored inside the vehicle. Participants would also like to not have the hassle of maneuvering the very long paddle-board to the top of the vehicle for transport and be able to use any factory installed rack system on the vehicle.
The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.